Propelling and balancing apparatus for airships.



- J. A. RENNIBE.

PBOPELLING AND BALANCING APPARATUS ron AIRSHIPS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED PEILZS, 1910.

Patented Jul 4, 1911.

v INVENTOR John H Fem/Wee Arm/mars;

WITNESSES.-

UNITED STATES PATENT orator.

JOHN A. RENNIEE, 01 NEW YORK, Y.

I PROPELLING AND BALANCING APPARATUS FQR AIRSHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 23, 1910.Serial No. 545,306.

Patented July 4, 19.1 1.

7'0 all whom it concernr Be it known that I, JOHN A. RENNIEE, a citizenof the United States, and residing at New York, in'the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented o'er tain new and usefulImprovements in Propelling and Balanfzing Apparatus for Airships, ofwhich the following is a specification, such as will enable thoseskilled in the art-to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to airships, or flying machines, and particularlyto machines of ,th1s class known'as aeroplanes, and the object thereofis to provide a machine ofthis class with an improved propellingmechanism andimproved automatic balancing devices which operate inconnection with the propellers or propelling mechanism.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which I the separateparts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference charactersin each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is aplan view of apropelling mechanism for airships or machines involving'my invention,and; Fig.2 a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with part of theconstruction omitted.

In the accompanying, drawing I have shown only my improved propellingand balancing mechanism, the said balancing mechanism operating inconnection with the shafts of the propellers, the main frame or parts ofthe machine being not shown in the drawing, and in the practice of myinvention I, providea suitable framework or support for the propellingand balancing mechanism which I employ, which comprises parallel frontand back members a and a", but

it will be understood that in the construction of a machine or'theapplication of my improvement thereto, the said .frame or support may bebuilt into or form part of the framework of the machine, or may beconnectedtherewith in any desired manner. I have also shown at b. thepower shaft which, in practice is connected with the motor with whichthe machine is provided, said motor being also not shown, and said shaftis pro Mount-ed in the opposite end portions of the frame or support aretwo propeller shafts' 0 provided with propellers 03, comprising hubs dand plates d and thesepropellers are adapted to be-turned in vertical orhorizontal planes. The shafts c are proi nission shafts 6 arranged inthe same line andprovided with beveled gears c which mes'liiwith thegears 0 The shafts c are also provided with wheels or drums c and, inthe form of construction shown one of the frame or support members a, ais provided with angular arms f, to which are pivoted as shown at fsemi-circular brakes g which depend from said arms and the brake wheelsor drums c and the lower end portions of which are pivotedat g to ahorizontal connecting rod 9 The power transmission shafts e extend intoand are connected with a differential power transmission gear device hwhich involvesin its construction a beveled gear wheel if, with whichthe gear 6 on the main drive or gear 6 meshes.

The details of the construction of the differential power transmissiondevice or apparatus k are not shown, for the reason that they form nopart of my invention, but the said device may be of any of the wellknown constructions and may be similar to devices of this class employedin automobiles and similar vehicles; but the construction and operationof this device is such as to turn the shafts e at the same rate of speedand also to allow one of the said shafts to turn free and independentof'the other. The differential power transmission device it is also, inthe form of construction shown, partially inclosed by a yoke-shapedframe or support a built into or forming apart of the main frame orsupport of the propeller shafts 0, but my invention is not, ashereinbefore stated, limited to any particular means for supporting thepropeller shafts e or the other parts of the propelling and balancingmechanism, said balancing'mechanism consisting of the wheels ordrum's 0mounted on the shafts 0 and the semi-circular brakes g pivotallysupported, and the connecting means 9 pivoted to said brakes.

' In the operation of a flying machine provided with my improvement thebrakes g are free to swing in a vertical plane under the'infiuence. ofgravity, and if at any time one side of themachine is elevated above theother one of the brakes 9 .will drop into contact with the adjacentbrake wheel or drum c and the movement of the corresponding propellerwill be checked as will be readily understood, and the oppositepropeller will continue in operation at the desired speed, and in thisway the equilibrium or proper balance of the machine will beautomatically provided for at all times.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 2-- 1. In a propelling mechanism for flyingmachines, parallel propeller shafts provided with propellers, means fordriving said shafts, brake drums connected with said shafts, gravitybrake devices pivotally supported above said drums and adapted tooperate in connection therewith and a horizontal rod connecting saidbrake devices.

2. In a propelling mechanism for flying adapted to operate in connectiontherewith and a horizontal rod pivoted to said brake devices.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 21st day of February1910.

J .OHN A. RENNIEE.

Witnesses C. E. MULREANY, B. M. RYERSON.

